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7) What did someone else bring for lunch that was pretty cool?

What did you play at recess and who won? If you ask a broad question like “How was your day today?” you are more likely to get a broad, uninformative response from your child like “Fine”. Asking specific questions on just about anything can be a much better way to get specific answers and trigger a conversation with your kid.

6) What was something funny someone did today in school?

Learning what makes your kids laugh gives great insight into what makes them tick. You’ll both get at least 1 good laugh together a day if you ask this question.

5) What was something super nice someone did for you today?

What was something nice you did for someone else? What a great way to get your child to think about something/someone they can appreciate every day. They can also learn to think of ways they were helpful to others which can be a great way to boost their self-confidence from a young age.

4) What was 1 thing you learned in (fill in the gap with their favorite class/activity) today?

Having your child vocalize one thing they learn every day is a life skill that will reinforce and solidify newly learned skills daily. Having it be in a subject/activity they enjoy will make it more of a fun chat than a chore. Reviewing newly learned material at the end of the day is a skill that will serve them well by building a strong foundation of learning on which further growth can occur.

3) If you could go to Disneyland for a week which 3 kids in your class would you like to go with? Which 3 would you not like to go with? Why?

This one’s a great way to learn what kinds of kids your child gravitates towards and which ones they don’t. The conversation this question triggers could give new insights into your kid’s stressors and open up opportunities for you to guide them on how to manage these stressors from a very young age.

2)On a scale of 1-10 how would you rate your day? Why?

Putting questions in scale format for kids is a great way to get a good idea of where they are. We use scales in hospitals all the time to rate pain for kids. This one’s a question you can ask every day and a great way to start a conversation with your child.

1) Ask yourself the same question and respond first before your child has a go

Having a go first will give you a chance to be introspective yourself and gauge how challenging it can be to review your day. A child always appreciates it when we show that we ask of ourselves also what we ask of them. I have found that when I do this, I learn just as much from my child as they learn from me. This can be the beginning of having a daily heart-to- heart with your child without much effort.